Key holder



C. MARIEN May :1 1951 KEY HOLDER Filed April 8, 1948 l INVENTOR. @MWMM Patented May 1, 1951 UNlED srrss OFF-I KEY HOLDER Application April 8, lsiaserni No. 19,720

This invention relates to a key holder which U will pass through thehole in a key and serve to group a plurality of keys together.

Key holders for this eneral purpose have been heretofore provided and in each case some movv able arrangement is formed so that the key holder may be passed through the hole in the key and then retain the keyon the holder unless certain removing the same. Some sort of resilient means is often provided for maintaining closure of the holder. In many cases the resilient means is unsightly and detracts from the appearance of the holder.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a key holder which will have a movable tongue resiliently held in closed position by some means which is entirely concealed.

Another object of this invention is to provide a tongue which is hinged in the enclosing extent of a frame like holder and which may be swung from its closing position to permit a key to be positioned on the holder.

Another object of this invention is to provide a pair of cam surfaces which under spring action will urge the movable tongue of a'key holder to closed position when swung from such position, and which may be entirely concealed from view.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel features as will be more fully described hereinafter and pointed out specifically in the appended claims.

With reference to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective View illustrating the key holder, with keys located on the holder, as attached to a chain, which chain may be attached to the person.

Figure 2 is an edge View of the holder alone.

Figure 3 is a partial sectional View on substantial line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a View similar to Figure 3, but illustrating the tongue in open position.

Figure 5 is a sectional view on line 55 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is an exploded view in perspective illustrating the various operating parts of the device.

In proceeding with this invention I bend a member of solid stock into a portion of a loop with spaced ends, and hinge to one of the ends a tongue member which will complete the loop and engage the other end of the first member. The tongue is resiliently biased by means of a spring which is housed within a bore extending lengthwise of the tongue, with a plunger which a @laims. (01. 70-459) is forced by the spring toward the hinge connection. Cam surfaces are formed between the plunger and the member to which the tongue is pivoted so asto maintain the tongue in closed other manual manipulation is resorted to for position, and such as to urge the tonguetoward closed position if moved or swung about its pivot away from closed position.

With reference to drawings, In designates a body member which is formed of solid rectangular stock bent into a portion of a'loop, there being opposite sides 5 land l2 joined by an intermediate side it. Each of the sides II and |2 are extended inwardly toward each other as at M and i5 to form spaced ends. The end [6 is bevelled inwardly as at ill, While the end portion I5 is reduced in width as at it and formed with a cam surface as consisting of an outwardly bevelled end such as shown more clearly in Figure 6. The reduced end is provided with a pivot opening 26.

A tongue member designated generally 2| is also formed of a square piece of stock of the same size and shape as the stock of the body member. This stock is extended at one end to provide a pair of ears 22 with a pivot pin opening 23. These ears will extend along either side of the reduced end l8 and the openings 23 in them will align with the opening 20 in this reduced portion it for the reception of a pivot pin 24% to pivotally mount the tongue 2| on the body member end i5. Cylindrical bore 25 extends lengthwise into the tongue 2| and receives a coiled spring 26 therein which bottoms against the end of the bore. A plunger 2'? is slidably guided in the bore 25 and has a projection 2t to extend into the coiled spring and hold the spring centered with relation to the plunger. The other end of the plunger is bevelled, or provided With a cam surface 29 to engage the cam surface It. If desired a reduced end 39 may be provided on one end of the tongue extending beyond the bevelled end 3| so as to enter a recess 32' in the bevelled end I? of the end is of the body member, whereby to prevent lateral movement of the tongue.

By this arrangement there is a tendency for the cam surfaces which are in effect inclined or bevelled surfaces 89 and 29 to align and maintain the tongue 2| in closed position. Should the tongue 2| be forced inwardly, as shown in Figure 4, the plunger 2? is moved in its bore 25 to compress the spring 25 and thus the action of the spring tends to return the tongue to closed position.

When the tongue is open, as shown in Figure 4, key 35 having an opening 36, may be passed on to the holder, or the end link 31 of a chain 38 may be passed onto the holder. Likewise, if the tongue is forced inwardly these two may be detached from the holder if desired. A clip 39 may be utilized for securing the chain 38 to a garment.

By the above arrangement it will be apparent that the resilient means which moves the tongue to closed position and maintains it there is entirely concealed from view and yet is effective.

I claim:

1. A key holder comprising a body member with spaced ends forming a portion of a closed loop, a tongue member having a hollow bore completing said loop, a hinge pin mounting said tongue member on one of said ends and engaging the other end, means to resiliently bias said tongue member comprising a spring contained in said bore, aplunger of the same shape in cross section as said bore with a fiat end at an angle to the axis of said plunger and urged by said spring toward said hinge pin, and a cam having a flat surface on the loop end to which the tongue is hinged to engage said plunger end and urge said tongue member in one direction about the axis of the hinge pin when moved from closed position, said fiat surface and fiat end being in a plane parallel to the axis of said hinge pin when the tongue is in closed position to urge said tongue to swing in a plane to align with the said other end of said loop.

2. In a key holder as in claim 1 wherein the free end of said tongue and end of the body member have interfitting parts to further assist to align them when in closed position.

3. In a key holder as in claim 1 wherein the free end of said tongue has a projection and the end of the body member with which it engages has a slot to receive said projection and further assist in said alignment.

LEMENT MARIEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 271,121 Riley et al Jan. 23, 1883 644,699 Woodford Mar. 6, 1900 720,843 Peters Feb. 17, 1903 926,156 Waterhouse June 29, 1909 1,581,875 Salvog Apr. 20, 1926 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 4,823 Great Britain Oct. 10, 1883 133,797 Great Britain Oct. 23, 1919 

